Ogle County residents learn severe weather preparation and receive a life saving device

Posted:
Sunday, April 10, 2016 10:17 PM EDT

Village of Davis Junction -

April 9, 2015 brings up painful memories of an E-F 4 tornado that ripped through local counties in Illinois.

The tragic day has motivated community members to be ready if something like it happens again.

"The earlier you have a warning the more effective its going to be and the safer your family is going to be," Village of Davis Junction resident Shirley Spray said.

Other Davis Junction residents like Spray want to keep themselves and loved ones safe and its their first priority, especially in a severe weather event like the tornado of last year.

"We've been having a lot of severe wind and I just would like to have something that would tell me whats coming," nearby resident Butch Descourouez said.

Those very concerns were why local officials decided to give families free weather radios at a weekend seminar.

"We were able to purchase these radios through non taxing funds," Davis Junction Trustee William Luchsinger said. "It comes from tipping fees from advanced disposal that is within the Village limits and we used that to provide a grant to purchase these radio for our residents."

Families received more than just a warning system at this event. A familiar face also offered helpful advice.

"Sometimes you need every minute or every second that you can get to get to shelter to get to safe place when severe weather is striking," WREX's own Chief Meteorologists Alex Kirchner said.

He explained weather radios are life-saving tools in severe storms no matter what the season, whether it's wind, rain, or snow posing a threat.

"Not only does it give you that heads up like 'oh somethings happening', it provides the information afterward where the storm is, how fast its moving, and what threats you might be facing, and then possibly what actions you need to take," Kirchner said.

Although days progress and time moves further away from the tornado of April 9, 2015, memories of that day are still fresh.

"I mean I could see it from my house," Descourouez said. "It kind of opened your eyes that it could happen anywhere".

This is why local families said it's important to be prepared.

100 weather radios were purchased for this event and there are some still left over. Officials said the devices will be available at the Davis Junction Village hall.